Lathyrus latifolius Pink Pearl - Broadleaf Sweetpea

The Lathyrus latifolius 'Pink Pearl', also known as 'Broad-leaved Vetchling', is a perennial pea that is particularly easy to grow and will flower in any garden. It is a lovely little climbing herbaceous plant, offering bouquets of fairly large papilionaceous flowers in a delicate pale pink colour for a very long period of time. The plant attaches itself to its support thanks to a few tendrils that emerge from a matte green foliage, carried by broad flattened and winged stems. It is a very hardy and drought-resistant plant, which appreciates the sun and well-drained fertile soil.

Introduced before 1635, the perennial pea became popular in the 1900s; it was often cultivated on a floral cage, a very fashionable accessory in Victorian England. This vetchling is a plant of the fabaceae family native to Chile, which has become naturalized in Europe, in southern regions, where it grows in sunny fallow fields on rather chalky soil. With rapid growth, the stems develop tendrils that attach themselves to the support you have provided during planting. Growing from a large fleshy root, this plant easily reaches 1.80 m (6ft) within a few months. Flowering takes place from July to September providing there is no lack of water. Its papilionaceous flowers, 2 to 3 cm (1in) long, are grouped in axillary clusters of 10 to 15 flowers. It is an excellent cut flower. If it is happy, the perennial pea is so vigorous that it can become invasive by self-seeding abundantly.

This charming plant has more than one asset: crisp blue-green foliage, small clusters of tightly curled buds, and finally the delicacy of its pink flowers. It thrives in warm and sunny locations as well as in well-drained, even rocky soils. It is a perfect plant for quickly dressing up a brand new garden, a slightly wild area, the somewhat sad branches of conifers or deflowered spring-flowering shrubs. Easy to grow, the large seeds of Lathyrus latifolius are easy to handle and can be easily sown by children. This perennial pea is perfect for flowering on a trellis, a fence, and even in a pot on the terrace throughout the summer. This pea is an aerial vagabond with a formidable foothold. If it settles in the garden, it multiplies and spreads at will, venturing to attack other perennials, but without suffocating them under its lightweight. In a bouquet, it remains beautiful for several days, with the buds opening in a white colour, tinged with green, and which are very refined and blend well with a few spikes of Buddleia that provide the missing fragrance.